Image resizing using the Ribbon doesn't always work

Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
Office Professional Plus 2010 32-bit

I would generally consider myself to be quite proficient using Word … but this issue has me stumped. Maybe it’s a Word “feature.”

I am having ongoing issues on multiple different machines (work and home) with resizing images. The problems appear to be random … in that 1) sometimes resizing works and sometimes it doesn’t work and 2) in the same editing session images that resized “a minute ago” will not resize.

Overall:

Resize always works when the picture/image handles are used (drag and drop)

Double clicking an image and using the ribbon or selecting the image and then Picture Tools tab/Size group in the ribbon, and then selecting a (say 4”) width or height works randomly.

More often than not the image ignores the entered data and stays the same width.

Neither manually typing (e.g., a width of 4”) or using the increment arrows works.

Sometimes one entry (e.g., width will be accepted) and then both width and height are disabled.

Pictures from the web and from my computer all exhibit this problem randomly

If a picture will not resize using the Size group in the ribbon, right clicking the picture/image and selecting Size and Position and changing the picture/image size seems to reset Word so all images can be resized. Unfortunately, after a random period Word “resets” to the non-working variation and the right-click option has to be exercised again to “reset” Word.

I know other people on the web (and in person) are having this problem but no solution has been found for this “feature” - well at least I cannot find a solution.

This problem can be found in a newly created document or a new image inserted into an existing document … but as I indicated, it is random. So sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.

The documents and pictures/images are not protected that I am aware of.

At least one person has indicated that reinstalling Word did not correct the issue … but I don’t think that anyone will be surprised at that.

Can anyone help with why the Picture Tools tab/Size groupdoes not work consistently? Do we have a better (non-random) workaround for the problem?

Last edited by Aussie; 2012-10-17 at 08:20.
Reason: Correct ribbon descirption title

The Following User Says Thank You to Aussie For This Useful Post:

I can’t even find Pictures and Tools/Size on my Word ribbon (nor in Publisher nor Office Picture Manager), and I have the default ribbon (but with the Developer tab included). When I have a photo and click on it, a new tab shoots up above the ribbon to the very top of the display, with the title ‘Picture to…’ and below that ‘Format’ as a standard tab. Clicking on that ‘Format’ fills the ribbon the entire width of the display with a variety of editing playthings, all of which work perfectly well for me. Additionally, clicking on the File tab gives me the properties for the photo. Please note that I am talking about photos exclusively, and not clip art, charts and graphs, or other such things (which I haven’t tested).

Picture Tools Ribbon ...

OK ... well I wasn't dead accurate in my description ... what I meant was Picture Tools tab/Size group/Width ... which appears to be the ribbon that you are on. You are describing the same ribbon. All tools "work perfectly well" ... OK ... but numerous people on the web have indicated that they have had this problem. Because it is intermittent ... maybe it depends on a PC configuration or a Word configuration ... or maybe it's a "feature." But I have experienced it on many different machines; some that I built and also some that others have built. So I am pretty sure that it's a "feature."

I am really looking for other people with the problem so we can get some synergy behind this ... Or someone can tell me what I am doing wrong

Well, you've done me a favour. It seems we are indeed in the same place, mine works perfectly, and until this came along I had no idea I could have this much fun with photos in Word itself, or at least not this conveniently. You might review the advanced options (under the File tab) to see if you can spot anything there, as they can throw things off royally if not set to suit what you're up to. Admittedly you may have to look every one of them up to see what it does but that's all I can think of. At least now you know that it works perfectly for one user. One other possibility is to reset everything to the defaults and see if you are still having trouble.

Edited to add: I have taken another look at it, and in my case on changing the height or width using the arrows or inserting a numeric value, the aspect ratio is retained, and sometimes there is a short transition period for the picture displayed to catch up with the command. If I use the handles and drag a side, for example, the aspect ratio changes but I get compression or expansion, which is to say unwanted distortion. If I want it distortion-free, I must use the crop tool.

No joy!

"You might review the advanced options (under the File tab) to see if you can spot anything there ..."

I looked ... but I am pretty sure that those options address the whole document not specific pictures within a document. I have a document open (as I type this) and one picture resizes with the Picture Tools/Size dialog and the next picture (3" down) won't. So I still think that it is either a "feature" of word or a specific picture setting that I can't find.

Additionally, when right clicking and adjusting size from within the dialog, resizing works, whereas within the ribbon it doesn't. This seems more and more like a "feature."

With respect to your adventuring into "aspect ratios" when resizing ... opening the Size and Position dialog and the Size tab will show a "Lock aspect ratio" check box.
With "Lock aspect ratio" selected dragging the corner handles will resize keeping the aspect ratio.
With "Lock aspect ratio" selected dragging the side handles will resize not keeping the aspect ratio.
Without the "Lock aspect ratio" selected dragging the any handle will resize and not keep the aspect ratio.

There may or may not be something under Options, Iíll check when I get around to it, but in the meantime every document is based upon a template, even if it is the Normal template, and you might check to see if your template has macros enabled or not: dotx vs. dotm (or for a document itself, docx vs. docm). Macros can do just about anything, including playing with pictures.
The second thing is that your terminology is different from mine (but very close), and Iím not sure our ribbons really are the same. Mine looks like this:

Unless you have changed your Ribbon (which isn't easy to do) ... your ribbon and mine will match ... and I checked ... and they do. My ribbon is a standard install and I have developer and add-in ribbons enabled.

I write and run macros all the time ... so that is not a a problem (I don't think).

I just can't see that a general option or normal.docx/docm can disable operations randomly on single picture (i.e., one picture in a document resizes and another picture in the same document doesn't resize ... or a picture resizes using right click but not from the ribbon).

Picture resizing works some of the time ... it just has random intermittent non-working conditions ...

Aussie--I have exactly the same issues as you describe. Running the same systems as well. The only thing I've found that works is just as you describe: right click and modify from there. I believe it's a "feature"!

Thanks for the response ... I concur ... I think that pretty much everyone has the "feature" ... but it depends on how Word is utilized as to whether we all get to "benefit" from the "feature." Other people have posted around the web with no solution. I have seen it on too many computers (mine and others) with many different operators (not just me) ... so I am pretty sure it's not me. Not to worry though ... maybe some super expert will find a solution for us someday. :-)

OK ... try this file and see if you can duplicate the "feature"

There are two instructions in the file next to two graphics. Please follow the instructions as closely as possible (assuming that I wrote them correctly). If you "fix" the feature accidentally ... and want to continue testing ... reopen the orignal file. I will be interested to see if anyone else can duplicate the issue ...

I had a look at the file you posted and each graphic responded the same way - clicking the up and down arrows in the Size area changed the graphic size. I don't know of any setting that would disable this ability randomly.

Have you considered creating a macro to bump up the graphic size by a fixed unit?